What are your credentials worth?

Security Watch posted an interesting article today discussing the value of personal login credentials, or username and password combinations used to access online services. I often get asked question about why people hack into computers, or write and spread viruses and malware. My answer has always been that it’s less about damaging computers or systems anymore, and more about being stealthy and collecting valuable information that can be used for monetary gain. This article paints a general picture and help to explain of how much our information is worth, answering the question – Why do they do it?.

Twitter credentials worth $1,000 to cybercriminals

Gmail account worth $80.00 +

According to the article, the actual value of account credentials is based mainly onÂ popularity of the application, and the `popularityâ€™ of the account, but I’d also include type of application, authority of the account holder, and the probability of an account granting access to additional valuable data as determining overall value of the credentials.